Much has been written on the topic of stress & disease, below is summary to help guide you throughout
Ichthyophthirius (white spot or ick) prevention and identification. Please feel free to send any comments or suggestions to Ask An Expert.

The most common freshwater aquarium diesese around. Just go to most walmarts. The small pustules are actually sacks of tiny protazoans. In a few days, the sacks break open and the parasites fall into the aquarium gravel where they multiply in great numbers. When mature, the new protazoans attack the rest of the fish. It is this lifecycle that makes Ich so contagious. The protazoans will weaken the fish progressively by destroying the protective coating.

The protazoans may only be destroyed after they have left the sacks. When embedded in the aquarium gravel, they are susceptible to medication. Therefore, increasing the temperature of the water during treatment can speed up the life cycle, causing the pustules to break open quicker. After exposed, the protazoans are killed before they can multiply.

Ichthyophthirius (white spot or ick) Treatments

There is only one treatment I recommend for Ick. Quickcure had beaten it time and time agian at my house. I keep it around all the time. I might be bias but, ride the horse that got you there. This stuff is like magic, it's cured ick fully everytime I have used it.

Shake well before using. Use one drop per gallon daily on all fish except those of the tetra group. For tetra--use one drop for every two gallons daily. For marine fish--for lymphocystis use one drop per gallon daily in a bare aquarium. Cures ick in two days, lymphocystis in one week. Quick Cure will slightly color the water blue--this disappears in a few days. Remove charcoal or carbon from filtration system during treatment. Avg. Price - $1.77

Another remedy is to raise the tank temperature to about 90F (Be very careful, some fish can't handle this.) and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to the water. But why waste your time, Get some Quickcure today!

Ichthyophthirius (white spot or ick) Prevention

Ich can be introduced into the aquarium via infected water, plants, substrates or fish. Some fish can in fact carry the parasite without actually ever being diseased themselves. These carriers shed the parasite into a new aquarium and expose other fish to it who may not have a natural immunity and thus become infected.

Therefore, there are some very simple precautions which can prevent ich being introduced:

Donít buy any fish from a tank in which ich (or any other disease for that matter!) is obviously present.

Quarantine all new fish for at least a month before introducing them to the main tank or pond. Treat with Quickcure just in case.

Donít add any pet store water to your tank or pond: do the usual temperature and water chemistry adjustments for new fish in a separate bucket and then net the fish out to put it in the tank/pond, leaving the pet store water to be thrown away.

Disinfect any new plants, ornaments and substrates with a bleach or potassium permanganate solution before placing them in the tank.